Today we're diving into a topic that impacts the well-being of individuals and communities alike – community nutrition. Community nutrition is more than just feeding people. It fosters empowerment and sows the seeds of health and equality. On this episode of the Baby Steps Nutrition Podcast, Argavan speaks with Colton McCracken, a Registered Dietitian currently working as a SNAP-Ed Nutritionist at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County. His previous work experience includes a school educator at Island Grown Initiative Inc and a Coordinator at the Green Mountain Farm-to-School. Argavan and Colton discuss the strategies to engage and educate individuals with limited access to resources, the role and value of community partnerships, why advocacy is key in addressing the broader social determinants of health and much much more!
Mentioned in this Episode and Colton’s Recommendations:
Novels:
The Food Activist Handbook - Ali Berlow
- A book with a variety of resources, tools, ideas and stories for supporting local food systems. This was written by the founder of Island Grown Initiative.
Description: Learn how your actions can keep money in the local economy, reduce the carbon footprint associated with food transportation, and preserve local landscapes.
The Food Activist Handbook gives you the know-how and inspiration to create a better world, one meal at a time/
Where: Amazon, Barnes and Noble
Communicating Nutrition: The Authoritative Guide - Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, FAND
Description: Written and reviewed by experienced nutrition communicators and educators, this guide provides the knowledge and skills needed to develop and deliver all types of communication in a variety of settings. Helpful for students, interns and practitioners.
Where: Amazon
Podcasts:
Sound Bites - Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RDN, CDCES
About: Melissa is former supermarket dietitian who invites a variety of guests on for episodes related to fad diets to farming, misinformation and more! Free CPEUs can be found and she has an amazing Sound Science Toolkit for any subscribers to her podcast
Website:https://soundbitesrd.com/
Gastropod - Cynthia Graber, Nicola Twilley
About: Bi-weekly episode series that studies the science and history behind food and farming.
Website:https://gastropod.com/
Trainings:
Bridges out of Poverty - Compassion Project
Description: Gives a deeper understanding of poverty and what it is like for those facing it. As you gain empathy and a better understanding of the challenges faced by people in poverty, you will be able to build relationships with those living in poverty and create opportunities for their success.
Contact:training@compassioncoalition.org
Website: https://compassioncoalition.org/bridges-out-of-poverty/#bridges-form
For more on Colton, you can follow him on LinkedIn @ColtonMcCracken and connect via email mccracken.colton@gmail.com.
For more on Argavan Nilforoush, be sure to follow her on Instagram @babystepsnutrition, on Facebook: Baby Steps Nutrition page, on YouTube: Baby Steps Nutrition Podcast, on Twitter @argavanRDN, on LinkedIn @ArgavanNilforoush and through her website www.babystepsnutrition.com.